Ribtec deck

HMJB · 29 January 2021, 12:35

Hi All,

I have a 1990 Ribtec 535 which I am going to do some light refurb work on before using it this season and then decide whether to undertake a full refurb next winter.

It has been in the same ownership for 20 years before me and stored in a garage. Has been used for days on the water and left on moorings for a week or so on holiday, so predominantly pretty dry.

The deck feels solid and doesn't feel like its rotten or have any flex in in.

There are cracks as shown in the photo in various places in what I assume is flowcoat? I may be wrong on that. One of the things I do intend to do before using it this season is to paint the deck, but want to address the cracks before hand.

I wandered how people thought best to sort these and what product to use? Do I just rake them out a bit wider and then fill with new flowcoat (if that is what is there now)?

Thanks - any advice gratefully received.

Hartley

xpertski · 29 January 2021, 17:17

Wonder if cracks are a sign of expansion in the deck ply? On YouTube there is someone who has a channel called “boatworks today”which I am sure has a video on how to fix cracks in gel coat.

I am in the middle of replacing the deck in my boat, I found out it was full of moisture (but felt very solid under foot) by drilling in a few places and moisture came up with the wood and shavings were dark/damp - also some steam on the drill as it became hot. Suspect places will predominantly be around where deck fixings were. Perhaps worth checking where one crack is to see if the crack is just the gel coat or also the fibreglass layer beneath - if the crack goes below just the surface chance is that moisture has gone through ....

Caveat, I am no expert, just know more than I did through doing my own renovation ...

jeffstevens763@g · 29 January 2021, 17:27

I would pick the worst bit and grind out with a flap disc to see what you have if might only be delamination, you can fair it out so you can do a flow coat repair until next winter. If it's rotten Xpertski's thread is a good read hope it's not that

GuyC · 29 January 2021, 18:19

Until I was brave enough to use a flap disc, I used a Dremel to 'rake' out the crack.

Finbarr would be having a field day!

HMJB · 30 January 2021, 07:44

Hi.

Thanks for the replies. Really helpful. Had a look at YouTube re gel coat repairs. Looks like quite a few steps to get it right, but none of them too complicated - famous last words!

Going to get it in the garage over the weekend and will then grind out a couple of the worst cracks and see what I can with regards to whether the deck is wet or not. Hopefully the latter but is an old boat so could well be the answer I don’t want!

Will let you know once I’ve got a bit further.

Thanks.

HMJB · 30 January 2021, 07:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuyC

Until I was brave enough to use a flap disc, I used a Dremel to 'rake' out the crack.

Finbarr would be having a field day!

Agreed Mr Saunders would be having a whale of a time with this one!

paulbrown22 · 30 January 2021, 08:35

Have you got any hatches through to the underside, any cable runs you can get a hand through, etc., just to check the underside? My Ribtec deck felt pretty solid overall too, but I found a very small patch where it felt soft, and discovered underneath it really wasn't that good and the underside hadn't been sealed from the factory, so to make sure I was confident in it for the future I had it all ripped out and replaced, and properly sealed this time.

xpertski · 30 January 2021, 22:02

Also at over 30 years old - there is every chance the deck has gone past its lifespan or maybe close to it. Not a certainty but it is a possibility, especially if the ply wasn’t glassed both sides. Cracks may be a sign of wood expansion ...

GuyC · 31 January 2021, 06:25

Adding to Xpertski's comment.

With a 30 year old boat, it is likely that once you start digging, you will end up with a project unless you've happened upon on 'time warp' example.

I think you are aware of this - post #5. Quite a few people have done similar things but unless you are really focussed, it becomes a bit of a labour of love.

Good luck with the investigation.

Ribtecer · 31 January 2021, 19:49

My Ribtec 5.3 (at least 20 year old) deck was dry as a bone.

FYI, it was coated in not just resin but also the glass reinforcement on both sides of the deck, top and bottom.

I cut a hatch into a sealed deck space in order to fit an internal depth transducer at the rear and sent the cable up to the bow ish area to bring it up under the console. In both areas it was completely dry and I put a camera down the hole and took pictures and it was resined up right across the underside of the deck.

I think they built them properly them, regardless of cost.

Mines a great boat.

HMJB · 31 January 2021, 20:33

Thanks for the replies.

Have had a further look today and opened up some of the cracks (which are very fine) more. It seems to be dry and completely solid, which is great.

Ribtecer - thanks for the info on yours below deck. I haven't looked below, but it would appear to be completely glassed under the gel coat on the topside, so suspect it is on the underside as well.

I can't find any soft spots anywhere so can't see any reason to take the deck out and replace it.

So just going to repair the gel coat, paint the deck and install some new Treadmaster.

Will see if any cracks re appear over the next few months.... Hopefully not!

willk · 01 February 2021, 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by HMJB

So just going to repair the gel coat, paint the deck and install some new Treadmaster.

Will see if any cracks re appear over the next few months.... Hopefully not!

I think you're doing the right thing.

It's not exactly a gelcoat repair (which is a faff) but a flocoat repair (which is simple). Flocoat is gelcoat with a wax additive. You degrease the area, having first done any abrasive work and then just paint on the flocoat. It hardens quickly to a mattish finish and can be sanded back and polished if a gloss effect is required.

IMO those cracks are just a result of age - the bangs and stresses of life. If they always a sign of more serious issues, Pikey Dave would have had a new deck on him decades ago....

GuyC · 01 February 2021, 18:17

I've no wish to know whether PD's wood has gone soft either.